Viewport

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Fear itself


Most kids growing up are taught that inside every bully is a coward. The irony is that in order to get them to leave you alone, you have to make them think you are scarier than they are. I was never very good at that (at least not until I discovered Photoshop).

It's funny, though, that to face our fears, we must sometimes be fearful instead of fearless.

I questioned once awhile back about what the boogie man was afraid of. Because if you were scarier than the boogie man, you really wouldn't have much else to be afraid of.

But we all have fears. We may be afraid of death. Or we may be afraid of life. The fears don't have to be rational things. They can be sparked by insecurities or dreams. I think the imaginary things are sometimes more frightening than the real things. You can at least see the real things coming.

I've watch alot of what are billed as "scary" movies in my life. They are usually more gross than frightening. I lean more towards "psychological" thrillers. The mind scares me more than the body...well some bodies anyway. I saw some pretty scary bodies at a Club Med on Martinique several years ago. The French are not necessarily a beautiful people.

But I digress.

Franklin Roosevelt (or his speechwriter) once said, "We have nothing to fear, but fear itself." But isn't that the point. Fear is an emotion, not a thing. And sometimes fear is what saves us. If you aren't afraid of the dark alleyway, you may wander down it oblivious to what is lurking there.

So is fear really the bad thing or is it lack of fear. By fearing no evil are you embracing good, or becoming evil?

I scare myself sometimes.

16 comments:

Alex Pendragon said...

Evolution had a damn good reason for inventing fear. Going into battle, I would prefer my fellow troops to have a healthy dose of fear. Fearless enemies make great targets. It's in my best interest to kill that SOB, not show him how fearless I am. Once he's dead the point will be moot.

I don't fear death, I just fear losing my life sooner than I have to for no good reason. Painfully.

Time said...

THE Michael,
I was afraid you wouldn't comment, but my fears were unfounded.

Anonymous said...

A note from Underground...

I sometimes fear you guys will find out who I really am.

You never cease to amaze me by the way.

Time said...

Mick, I rather like who you really are.

Time said...

Lights,
Be afraid. Be very afraid.

JP (mom) said...

Facing fear necessitates that one is afraid. But, it is in spite of our fear, that we can actually become fearless. So perhaps being fearless means not being without fear, but not letting fear influence our decisions.

Okay. That’s way to mind-fuckingly philosophical for this late at night.

Great post Tim!

Anonymous said...

Yet, no one here seems to be fearful that you've finally put yourself in a dress.

Anonymous said...

I am afraid you are right.

Time said...

JanePoe, Mistress of the Macabre, with a pseudonym like Poe, the philosophy of fear should be old hat for you.

Iridethebus, A New York fashion plate such as yourself should be able to recognize a cape and tophat ensemble when he sees it. I think I was dressed to kill.

Miss Bliss, Frighteningly accurate.

Time said...

Cherish,
The mind does matter.

Anonymous said...

shandi said...
I'm afraid to read into this one too much.

I've spent most of my childhood living in fear of everything... and most of my adult life trying to prove that I'm not afraid anymore.

Anonymous said...

Dude, a dress is a dress is a dress.

Trust me. You aren't the one trying to decide if the person flirting with you in the subway is actually a man or a woman.

Time said...

Anonymous Shandi,
I thought you lived in Bakersfield, not Fear. But it is okay to be afraid regardless. We all are afraid.

Iridethebus,
You are right about that one.

darlingina said...

Great post Tim.

Scary how it really made me stop and think about fear :o| hehee @ the ClubMed Comment, too funny.

I've also heard it said that "Behind fear is powerlessness".
That being said, it's easy to see You hold no fear through the power of your writing. ;o) Smiles, All Hale.... King Tim ID!
Hugs, ~gina~

darlingina said...

Oh, and i forgot to mention that i love the pic. Scared me silly ;o)

Time said...

Gina, Thanks! Don't be afraid. Trust me?